Saving A Child
by The Dark Crimson Blood
Summary: Luffy was adopted by Gold D. Roger because of a promise after Monkey D. Dragon died, Luffy isn't exactly the favorite. He finds this out on his fifth birthday, marking the second year he's lived with his new 'family'. The thing is, it's also the second year Ace and Gold D. Roger have forgotten his birthday. Warnings on the inside...
1. Realization

**Author:** _The Dark Crimson Blood_  
**Story Title: **_Saving A Child_**  
Chapter Title: **_Realization_**  
Word Count:**_ 1,512  
_**Disclaimer: **_Don't own it.  
_**warnings: AU, OOC characters... 10 year gap instead of three...  
****Summary**: Luffy was adopted by Gold D. Roger because of a promise after Monkey D. Dragon died, Luffy isn't exactly the favorite. He finds this out on his fifth birthday, marking the second year he's lived with his new 'family'. The thing is, it's also the second year Ace and Gold D. Roger have forgotten his birthday.

The park was empty, silent, and wet. There was a child lying in the middle of it all; getting pelted by the harsh rain. Usually, he hated the rain because of the terrifying thunder and lightning that came with it. But today; today it was helping him. It was washing away the tears that would have messily streaked his face, it was helping him stay under the illusion of happiness and ignorance; but this time, he knew it wouldn't last. He did this last year on this very day as well, because of the same reason. This was the second year his birthday was forgotten; and because of this, he doubted his existence with his 'new family'. It scared him to think that they hated him, hated his existence and hated how he was breathing the same air as them. Maybe it wasn't that harsh, but he thought it was; and what person wouldn't?

This was also the day he had finally snapped out of his own illusion, the illusion that Mr. Roger (He couldn't call the man his father, it felt wrong, awkward even) His illusion of happiness was replaced with the cruel reality of it all; he didn't belong with this family, not with this family that rejected him no matter how hard he tried to be a part of things, how hard he tried to be accepted, how much he wanted to be included. He had finally figured it out; after the second forgotten birthday, he figured out underneath the mercilessly pouring rain and the bone chilling cold that he couldn't even feel with his numb body.

It was obscene that he would even think they would care for him; that they would miss him after such a long prolonged absence; it was so obvious that he would've whacked himself on the head if he could move.

They weren't his family.  
They were strangers, and _that_ scared him the most.

~  
Luffy couldn't open his eyes.  
It was cold and dark; but he knew he was moving. He was being carried by someone he didn't know and couldn't see. He couldn't feel his body, but he knew there was a blanket on top of him. His head hurt, he couldn't move- let alone open his eyes. It took a minute to gain enough energy to force his mouth open and use his vocal chords. "W-Who a-are y-you?" His teeth were chattering and he couldn't stop them; the grip on his body tightened; "My name is Nico Robin; I have connections with your family and I'm taking you home. Are you feeling okay?"  
"I-I'm Luffy, I'm f-fine" Luffy stuttered out, only able to make small movements in attempts to get free. If he acted weak and useless, those strangers would scold him.  
"It's bad to lie, Luffy-san." Robin remarked, catching Luffy on his obvious lie; "S-S-Sorry, hey; let's b-be friends! V-Visit s-so-sometime" He announced, he liked this person. She was nice; or at least she seemed that way. For some reason, he trusted her.

"Sure" Robin paused, "Don't you think your parents miss you?" She asked, snapping him out of his thought; "I don't have parents." Luffy replied; causing Robin to give him an odd look; "What about Roger-san?" Luffy didn't answer.

~  
"That idiot!" Ace exclaimed, it twelve in the afternoon and it had only been ten minutes ago that Nico Robin visited with a sickly Luffy in her arms. When the hell did he even leave? What was he even doing? Ace swore that that kid was always causing trouble for himself; it was annoying, and for some reason; it bothered him for some reason. Was it because it was on the same day Garp visited?

All of a sudden, it hit him.

And the realization _sickened_ him.

He had never been there for Luffy; not even since day one, the day he had moved in with them. He had done nothing for him; and he couldn't help but wonder how Luffy felt about that. Luffy- to him, had always been an annoying brat; but now that he looked into it more; he realized just how lonely Luffy must be. Not even his father had cared for Luffy, they just went on as if he wasn't even there. How long had the kid lived with them now? What kind of things did he like? Did he have friends? He knew nothing about the child that was supposed to be his little brother.

The thud that came from Luffy's bedroom pulled him out of his thoughts with ease; seconds later he heard the door slam open before closing just as loudly- if not louder. He silently moved and leaned against the wall, holding a cup up to the to the door like his mother had shown him as a child.

"Is there something wrong with your tiny head?! Are you _really_ that much of an idiot?! Do you have any idea just how much money it would cost if you had to go to the hospital?!" Luffy leaned back, his eyes watered but he wouldn't cry; not in front of someone who hated his very being despite him being the man's grandson. He wanted to know why, he wanted to know what bizarre incident caused Garp to hate him- unless he was previously underneath the illusion that Garp had loved him as well. Right now, the only thing he could do was listen to this scary man yell at him and hope his headache would stop increasing with every second.

"You wouldn't even have a roof over your head without Roger; yet you think you belong here!" Garp was getting louder and louder by the second and Luffy hadn't said a word. Though that sentence, that one sentence caused something to click inside his child like mind. It gave him an idea, an idea he deemed perfect and seemingly flawless.

Maybe, just maybe it would be better for him if he found somewhere he _did_ belong; somewhere where he'd have a family and a lot of friends! The corners of his lips twitched at the thought despite his emotionless stare towards the angry Garp that Luffy had blocked out completely. Luffy couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief when Garp left, slamming the door behind him as Luffy finally let the tears that had been building up the entire time flow down his face.

-  
Ten minutes later Ace found Luffy throwing clothing randomly into a bag; curious and concerned, he spoke up; "What are you doing?" Luffy jumped and relentlessly tried to hide his face and wipe away his tears so they couldn't be seen.  
"Are you... Okay?" Ace asked, not sure how to approach this matter; he'd never had a brother before- no, he's had a brother for over a year but he hadn't even noticed, hadn't acted on tried to hide them, hadn't even treated the child like a family member  
"Yes" The child sounded emotionless to Ace, when their eyes met the only thing Ace saw was sadness; those eyes that should be full of happiness, were dull and lifeless

"Why did you leave this morning?" Ace continued, his eyes still keeping contact with the child  
"I didn't" This shocked him; if he didn't leave this morning, then when _did _he leave? "I left last night at nine" Luffy stated silently, pulling his hand over his mouth as he broke into a fit of coughs. This shocked him even more, staying out that long could have killed a child so young- Why didn't anyone notice him leave? Did he sneak out through the window or something?  
As if reading Ace's mind Luffy replied, and after he finished his sentence; he seemed to have lost consciousness.  
But that one sentence remained in his mind, one that made him want to talk to his father about this right now. It was as if the child didn't even exist for whatever amount of time he had stayed with them.  
They hadn't been family to him at all, he was almost invisible due to their obliviousness; that one sentence, just that _one_ sentence; scared him the most.  
_"I walked right past you"_


	2. Sleepover?

**Author:** _The Dark Crimson Blood_  
**Story Title: **_Saving A Child_**  
Chapter Title: **_Sleepover_**  
Word Count:**_ 1,515  
_**Disclaimer: **_Don't own it.  
_**Updates_: _**_Usually once a week_**_  
_Short Note:**_ Thanks for the reviews, and for reading :)  
_**warnings: AU, OOC characters... 10 year gap instead of three...  
Summary**: Luffy was adopted by Gold D. Roger because of a promise after Monkey D. Dragon died, Luffy isn't exactly the favorite. He finds this out on his fifth birthday, marking the second year he's lived with his new 'family'. The thing is, it's also the second year Ace and Gold D. Roger have forgotten his birthday.

* * *

**Luffy** tried his best to walk in a straight line as he left his room, his head was spinning and there was a constant ringing going through it. He ignored it, deciding that getting to his location was a lot more important than his headache. The child quickly noticed the beautiful woman walking towards him, "Welcome home, Mrs. Rouge" though again, there was no reply; the woman walked right past him without a glance. Luffy only sighed and turned to enter the den with unintentional silence, the first person he saw was Ace; "Ace? I'm going to have a sleepover with a friend; could you tell Mr. Roger for me?" There was only a small grunt in reply; Luffy wasn't even sure if the boy heard him. He seemed to be thinking about something, so he apologized for bothering Ace.

Luffy left the room and headed straight for the doorway; stopping when he saw another set of shoes that belonged to Mrs. Rouge, reminding him once again that she was back from her planned two day business trip. Luffy wondered why he Mrs. Rouge had scheduled it over his birthday; but he simply decided it was abnormal to change her plans for a stranger. Luffy finished putting on his shoes and left the house as quickly as possible. He was looking forward to the sleepover he was spending with his best friend that was also his older brother figure.

* * *

Ace continued staring at the wall; holding his head as he thought, how could he not have noticed Luffy leave the other day? When the child just walked directly past him?! How the hell didn't he see him? He pressed a thumb against his temple in an attempt to calm himself down. He decided on something, something that hopefully would actually work; that starting now he'd pay a lot more attention to his little brother... His four year old brother... He lightly grunted in satisfaction; he never heard Luffy speak to him, nor did he see the little boy leave the room.

* * *

Portgas D. Rouge was confused. Why would Luffy, a four year old boy with next to no problems; leave the house so early in the morning? Especially when the child should know what a bad idea it was to leave without an adult; since, he usually stayed in the house. Sighing, she shifted slightly in her bed; attempting to get the feeling of forgetfulness out of her head. She would have to remind herself to talk to Luffy sometime; and, wasn't his birthday coming up next month? Maybe that was it; she scoffed. She would never forget her son's birthday; whether they were family by blood or not. She closed her weary eyes and soon, she drifted off to a rather peaceful sleep.

* * *

Luffy spared a single glance towards the spot he had spent the night at yesterday; he remembered the tightening of his chest he had experienced whilst lying there. Frowning, he continued; bumping into a teenager who looked no older than Ace. The sight of the dark haired person made Luffy's frown become a rather wide smile he only had the chance to show near this person  
"Law!" He announced happily; throwing his arms up in an attempt to hug the teenager, the older boy picked the child up and allowed Luffy to latch onto him; "Luffy-ya, I was going to pick you up; it's a bad idea for a child to run around without an adult around." Law stated, removing Luffy's hat to ruffle the boy's hair as he turned around and began walking in the direction of his house. "But I wanted to see Nii-tan sooner" Luffy mumbled, digging his face into Law's shirt cool shirt. Law's eyes narrowed after putting Luffy's hat back on the child's head; his hand barely touched his forehead as it fell back to his side. "Are you feeling okay, Luffy?" Luffy wanted to hit Luffy lightly on his head when the he shook his head 'no'. Luffy's 'family' may have believed it; or never asked in the first place, but Law; Law was the type to notice these things. Especially when the signs were showing from his little brother; a very important person to him.

"Liar, you caught a cold didn't you?" Luffy nodded into his chest; Law could only sigh in annoyance, "Idiot; what did you do?" Luffy only buried his head further as a reply.

"Then, if you won't answer that; how did your birthday go?" Luffy didn't reply again, "Did they forget again?" Luffy nodded.

Law tensed in anger, this was the second time; the second time those assholes of a family forgot Luffy's birthday. This time Law had trusted that family to remember; and he wondered if they even looked at the calendar, where; if they looked close enough, there would be a messily drawn circle around May fifth, and barely readable words that were written in bright red 'My Birthday' with in the circle. Law told Luffy to draw that on the calender to help them remember; to remind the family of what they shouldn't need to be reminded of.

Sighing, he pulled Luffy from his death grip and held the child straight out in front of him; noticing the wide, sad eyes that were dropping large blobs of tears down his cheeks. Ignoring them the best he could, he spoke; "You did the same thing as last year, didn't you?" Luffy nodded slowly; "Do you want to get yourself killed?" Luffy's lip started trembling.

"Forget it. You're lying down and taking medicine later; got it" Another slow, but understanding nod; even though he was being yelled at, Luffy was happy that someone cared about him; so, Luffy did his best to give Law the largest smile he could manage despite the tears flowing down his face. Law only sighed and allowed the child to latch onto him, waiting for the child to finish crying; "Law... Law will always be there right?" Law ruffled the child's hair; "You idiot; of course, and don't even doubt it for a second"

* * *

Law watched with a rather interested gaze as Luffy scarfed down every bit of meat he could reach; he knew the child's favorite food was meat; so he tended to make a lot whenever he knew Luffy was visiting. As he watched the child eat; he wondered if his family knew just how much this child loved meat; he wondered if they knew anything about the child. He quickly discarded it when he realized he was scowling at the thought; he didn't want to scare the child.  
"I'll be right back Luffy" Law stated, getting up from the table and leaving the room briefly; Luffy's eyes lit up even more when the teenager came back with a small cake that had red icing on it with five candles. "It's a day late; but happy birthday, if I knew they'd forget; I would've brought you over today" Luffy nodded, reaching forward to blow out the candles.  
It had been about a year since he blew out the candles on a birthday cake; he was happy, excruciatingly so; he thought he would never have the chance to do so again. Ignoring the cake after the candles were blown out; he jumped on Law for the umpteenth time that day.

* * *

Portgas D. Ace laid on his bed as he stared blankly up at the wall; the horrible feeling of forgetfulness plagued his mind as he did so. He couldn't figure out what was wrong, what he was forgetting, what was missing. It had been bothering him all day; and he wasn't sure what to do. By now; Luffy was surely in bed, as he usually was during or before this time; it was ten at night anyway. Sighing, he rolled over onto his side; was it something to do with his parents? Was he forgetting to do something they asked him to? No, that wasn't it; since his mother had just gotten home today and they had nothing scheduled anyway. He closed his eyes and brushed it off, just like he did last year.

The sad thing was, Ace didn't even realize the absence of his supposed little brother.


	3. Accepting an Offer

**Author:** _The Dark Crimson Blood_  
**Story Title: Saving A child****  
Chapter Title: Accepting an offer****  
Word Count: **_1,630  
_**Disclaimer_: _**_Don't own it.  
_**Reviews:**_Reviews :D Thanks~ Glad you like it ^^_**  
Warnings: **_AU, OOC characters... 10 year gap instead of three... __**  
**_**Summary**: Luffy was adopted by Gold D. Roger because of a promise after Monkey D. Dragon died, Luffy isn't exactly the favorite. He finds this out on his fifth birthday, marking the second year he's lived with his new 'family'. The thing is, it's also the second year Ace and Gold D. Roger have forgotten his birthday.

* * *

Luffy silently fiddled with the cell phone Law had given as he lied on his bed; he smiled brightly when he remembered how angry the teenager had been when he found out about Luffy's recent mishaps.  
_'If you need absolutely anything, or if you're in any trouble; immediately call me. I can't leave anything to that... Of a family you have'_  
Apparently, his older brother didn't trust Roger, Rouge, and Ace with Luffy. And as nice as it sounded; Law wanted to take Luffy from those strangers so Luffy could life with a family where Luffy would _actually_ be happy in. The small raven haired child smiled wider at the thought, barely hearing the hard knock on the door before it opened.

Worried it would be taken from him, Luffy hid the phone underneath his pillow in a flash before it was seen.  
"Luffy, it's odd that you spend all of your time inside your room; so we want you to go outside and make some friends... Plus, my paren- our parents are having friends over, so they want us out for a bit." Ace mumbled; his eyes skidding over Luffy briefly, not his mistake. Luffy noticed, however; he didn't act any differently.

He nodded anyway, "Thanks for informing me" He said, truthfully; the only person he thought of as family was Trafalgar Law and Law only. Anyone else were either friends- or like the people in this house; strangers.  
Ace glanced back at Luffy once and only once before leaving and closing the door gently behind him; Luffy didn't really care for what Ace told him; he was planning on going out anyway, he wasn't one to sit around inside too long.

He grabbed his hat and ran to the door, excited to be outside when the thought of the warming sun and the fresh air came into mind. Smiling at the thought went through his head, he opened his door and completely forgetting his sandals as he threw himself outside. He dropped the phone into his pocket and ran through the streets randomly, aiming to forget about the house that, for some reason, was beginning to scare him.

* * *

Luffy was _extremely_ and probably _dangerously_ clumsily; this was proved when he tripped over his own two feet again, small tears temporarily welled up in his eyes before he was grabbed gently and pulled up. Slightly wide eyed, the child turned to the person who helped him up; "Clumsy kid" The man mumbled, Luffy looked up, paying no mind to his bloody knee and bleeding mouth in the process of doing so, "Sorry, thanks for saving me sir" Luffy apologized returning to the way he talked with strangers- the only time he didn't speak with the upmost politeness, was when he was either when he was with his older brother or any of his friends.  
"No need, be more careful next time; okay?" Luffy bobbed his head up and down in understanding, "Okay. Hey; I'm Luffy!" The raven haired boy said, snapping up in favor of perhaps making another friend.

"My name is Sabo; it's a pleasure to meet you, Luffy" Luffy froze, 'Sabo'? That's the name of his brother's best friend! (Unlike everyone else, he actually paid attention to these things) "How old are you little guy?"  
Luffy stared at his hands before showing all five fingers on his hand, starring at Law with an small smile. "Five" Sabo arched a curious eyebrow as he stared at the incredibly adorable child, what was he doing out alone; "Ace mentioned you, so I believe you're heading over?" Sabo was surprised the child knew where he was going, did he know Ace too? He's never mentioned such an adorable little boy; "Yeah, is he your brother? Family member maybe?"  
"No, he's just someone, a stranger I've talked to a few times" Luffy wasn't lying, he was a horrible liar; it was the truth, to Luffy; everyone besides Law and his few other friends were strangers, especially the people in the house he hated so much.

Sabo nodded just as another question came into his mind. "Where are your parents?" Luffy froze for a split second, like he always did when his parents were mentioned. He didn't know why, but for some reason; he was suddenly scared... To think about them? It was weird, odd even.  
Frowning, he shook his head; "They died... And, I have a brother but he's been studying very hard lately; and I don't want to disturb him." Luffy said awkwardly, suddenly disliking how the words rolled off his tongue; he found himself wondering, just what happened? He knew... He knew his dad died by... Protecting him. But how did his mother die again?

He shook his head when he heard the man speak again, "Sorry. But I don't think I can leave you here alone, it's dangerous Y'Know?" Luffy nodded, remembering how Law had warned him of the same thing. Though Luffy was getting annoyed; so he reached into the pocket of his shorts and held out his phone, "If I need someone, I'll just call my brother, okay?" If this kept up, Luffy would end up being brought home with Sabo. "Okay... Be sure to call him..." The taller of the two mumbled, patting the child on the head before leaving with a slowed pace; continuously giving the small child quick glances as they went their separate ways.

* * *

He had been walking for a while, it was pretty dark out now and he was passing the time by catching the blinking lightning bugs as they entered his view; though he stopped when he heard felt the phone vibrate in his pocket. He fell back into the wet grass and held the phone to his ear,  
_"Luffy, figured I'd check on you, something was telling me you were- or are dong something I don't approve of... Where are you right now?"  
_Luffy smiled to himself, "I'm at the park again"  
_"You really like that park huh, you always seem to go there... Especially when something's bothering you."  
_"Th... There's nothing bothering me"  
_"Why are you out so late...?"  
_"This morning Ace told me Mr. Roger and Mrs. Rouge wanted me out of the house since... Since they think I spend all of my time in the bedroom, and that I don't have any friends; they said I need to make more friends. They're like... Like..."  
_"Like what?"_  
Luffy paused, sighing slightly as he spoke; "Strangers"  
_"It took you a while to figure it out; over two years eh?" _Law sensed Luffy nod; like he would have if the child was with him. Law replied with a small smile that Luffy couldn't see; "_How about you come over?"_  
Luffy's face brightened considerably, "Really?" Luffy cocked his head to the side when there was no answer; and second later, he found himself being lifted up and pulled right into a warm embrace; "Geez Luffy; you're freezing! Are you trying to catch another cold?" Luffy smiled even wider, turning around as he was graced with the presence of his older brother. "Did I scare you?" Law asked with a small smirk  
"No!" Luffy protested, "How long-"  
"Ten minutes; you're almost always here. Instinct." Law mumbled, shifting the child into a more comfortable position as he turned around and began walking towards the direction of his house.

* * *

Luffy stood in front of the door to the his bedroom; he couldn't sleep, he wasn't sure if Law was awake or not; even though he really wanted to see the teenager. Taking a small breath, Luffy walked down the hallway and stood right in front of Law's bedroom; he knocked on the door a few times and waited for an answer. The door opened, "Luffy? I thought you went to bed?" Law asked, lazily glancing at the child in front of him.  
"Can I..." Luffy began, drawing off; realizing this wasn't how he usually acted. He, he wanted to sleep with Law tonight. "Sleep with me tonight?" Law continued,  
"If you're not busy" Luffy finished, gazing towards the medical book in Law's hands before making eye contact again.  
Law frowned, patting the child once again; "You shouldn't be afraid to ask, Luffy; I'm going to bed anyway" Luffy smiled at this, leaping into the large bed and burrowing under the covers; turning towards Law when the teenager got into bed.  
"Is there something bothering you; Luffy?" Law asked when he was hit with uncharacteristic silence.  
"I wanted to ask... Is your offer still open?"  
_'Hey Luffy, why don't you move in with me? We are family, after all.'  
_"Of course, it's always open for you, Luffy. Though I want to do one more thing first"  
"What?"  
"You'll see, tomorrow" Law said with a smirk; wrapping his arms around the clinging figure attached to his side. "Tomorrow..."  
A slightly sadistic smile appeared on his face.


	4. Beginning To Change?

**Author:** _The Dark Crimson Blood_  
**Story Title: Saving a Child  
Chapter Title: Beginning To Change?  
Word Count: **_1,771  
_**Disclaimer**_**: **__Don't own it.  
_**Updates**_: Check my profile! Update times are written down there :)  
_**Warnings: **_AU, OOC characters... 10 year gap instead of three... __**  
**_**Summary**: Luffy was adopted by Gold D. Roger because of a promise after Monkey D. Dragon died, Luffy isn't exactly the favorite. He finds this out on his fifth birthday, marking the second year he's lived with his new 'family'. The thing is, it's also the second year Ace and Gold D. Roger have forgotten his birthday.

* * *

Luffy yawned widely as Law pulled a rather large shirt over his head, once the black shirt was on; he brought a hand to his head as if attempting to suppress a headache. "M'Hungry" Luffy said tiredly; removing his hand and raising his arms slowly so Law could pick him up easily. "Not used to missing naps huh?" Luffy shook his head in reply; burying his head into Law's shirt in attempt to get some rest. "We're going over to your house to talk with Mr. Roger and Mrs. Rouge, you're going to grab whatever you need afterwards then we'll leave. Understand?" Luffy nodded slowly in understanding, dozing off as Law left the house with the child in his arms.

* * *

Luffy silently collected his few items and shoved them into the bag Law had given him; all he personally had was an unopened box he had received after his parents... Died... A few books he'd received from Law, as well as a small blanket he'd receive from Law. So, there wasn't much. He picked up the slightly heavy box and the bag as he left the room; Law told him not to bother with the clothing unless it was important to him. He gently put down his things at the door before running into the kitchen where Law told him to come when he finished.

"Now, who are you; and what do you want?" Ace asked, glaring at the man across the table that had entered their house without answering their questions. He was suspicious. Rouge and Roger were staring at the man in question as well; they didn't even notice Luffy run into the room. However, they did notice the man pick a child up, "Luffy! Get away from him, he's a stranger!" Ace said worriedly, attempting to take the older brother position in Luffy's life without knowing it was already taken.  
"What're you talking 'bout? This is my Nii-tan" Luffy mumbled into Law's shirt. "What're you talking about!?" Rouge asked randomly, narrowing her eyes; "You're older brother is Ace, and when your parents _died _they said you were their only child"  
It was a mistake on their hands, mentioning his parents or their death was both a touchy subject and was never supposed to be mentioned; especially when Luffy was around. Though, because of Luffy's invisibility in this house; they forgot the next day and continued, even if they relativity didn't want to talk to him.

Law noticed Luffy's silence and immediately knew what was wrong, it was obvious that Luffy hated talking about his parents; it may be because of some sort of trauma he might have received after their deaths. It was normal, for a boy three years old to be traumatized about his parents death; so Law understood that. He never mentioned anything about his parents for fear of the boy becoming miserable or fear of his trauma becoming worse. So, now that the exact thing was mentioned; he tried his best to console the child. When Luffy sighed, he knew the child had calmed down.  
"Ace's a stranger" He said plainly, moving his head towards the young man in the process, Ace's eyes widened; "What're you talking about? We're family!" Luffy shook his head in protest, digging deeper into Law's shirt when the man ran his fingers through his hair. "Law's the only family I have"

"He knows nothing about you! We know _everything!_ Since we're family, Luffy!" Roger protested, slamming his fists onto the table in front of him. Law laughed darkly, "I bet you can't name one thing about him. You know nothing about him!" Law said with a scowl, glaring at Ace when the teenager began to laugh. To Law, this was no laughing matter; "What's so funny?"

"We're family, of course we know everything about him!" Ace said with a smirk towards the other teenager. "Really, wow; I hadn't guessed. Especially with you all acting as if he wasn't there all the time; as if his presence was unimportant... You know, you say he's part of your family; but in reality, you're nothing but strangers." Law replied sarcastically.  
Roger scowled, slamming his hands on the table as he stood up; "If you haven't noticed, _you're _ the stranger! You can't just barge in on our happy family and start falsly accusing us!" Law was the only one who noticed the slightly hesitant hitch to his voice when he called Luffy his family. At this, his eyes narrowed in anger; these people were disgusting.

"Favorite color, favorite food, birthday, age, and his friends! Can you answer any of these questions?" Rouge asked with a strong voice; she didn't want to admit it; but she wasn't sure she knew she couldn't answer those questions.  
Law smirked; these questions were unbelievably easy, for him; of course. "Easy; his favorite color is red, he absolutely loves meat, his was born on May fifth, he's five years old, and he hasn't been able to collect any friends; since I haven't been able to take him out as much."

Roger, Rouge, and Ace were shocked nonetheless, the man had absolutely no hesitation in his voice; but they ignored it, deciding he made this up in favor of proving them wrong. So, they went with what they discussed earlier

"Wrong, his favorite color is blue, and he loves candy; he's only four years old, his birthday is April sixth and his friends..." They didn't know any of his friends, and hopefully they got the dates right to everything. Truthfully they were guesses, and they were wrong; Law knew this. So, he was slightly amused; angered, but amused at the obliviousness of this family.

It was so unbelievably oblivious that Luffy was miserable; he already knew his family knew almost nothing about him; but they didn't know anything! Nothing at all! Luffy tensed up in slight anger; just as Law gave him a small glance. He agreed with himself; he absolutely hated these people, and that was a fact. Now, he knew these people were a lot worse than Luffy, a small five year old child had described them as. He was curious and amazed how Luffy was taking his position within this family; it was odd how he wasn't completely miserable or extremely self-conscious with a family like this; but what was amazing that this child was still himself. Any other child in his position would become almost emotionless and if this kept up, there was a strong possibility that the child would become suicidal!

Even though... Even though Luffy seemed so, so emotionally strong; this child, this rather young child had feelings, needs, and even fears that needed to be taken care of, and this family has neither given or provided him with anything. He was glad Luffy decided to take him off on his offer now, if he hadn't done anything; then this child's would most likely be messed up, destroyed even. Plus, this family was completely oblivious to his emotions, he was too young to understand anything he was going through right now; which would only make things worse in his future. As his stated earlier; this family was disgusting.

Now that he's seen this family himself, he wanted to remove Luffy from it; as soon as possible. What better day then the current? He ruffled the child's hair once more and gave the half asleep Luffy a small, but reassuring smile.

-  
Ace was angry; furious even. All he could see was red, the boy; the boy sitting across him who, was no older than him was threatening his relationship with his family; but not just that; but also his relationship with his younger brother. The same younger brother that had been living with him for the past... Year and a half possibly, he wasn't sure, but that didn't change things. He had finally figured out how wrong his actions were the past year, and he wanted to change that; to actually become Luffy's older brother. And not even a week after he realized his mistakes, a huge obstacle appeared in front of him, cutting him off from his course and standing in his way; and that obstacle was staring at him from right across the table, tempting him. _Teasing him. _He didn't like it.

This person needed to understand that Luffy was _his _little brother; no one else's. Even though he wouldn't willingly admit it, it was true that he knew nothing about Luffy; so the best thing he could do was guess and hope it wouldn't make things worse. Of course his first guess would be blue despite that color being the same color that was usually referred to a boy, and then there was the fact that almost all children absolutely loved candy. And to make things worse, he was even hesitant when he decided to announce the exact date of Luffy's birthday- it sounded incorrect and wrong, but he used it anyway.

Ace let out a deep sigh, inwardly; he felt horrible. He noticed, he just realized;  
Why didn't he know? He didn't know the amount of time the child had lived with them! He didn't even know how old the child was! He simply guessed, but he hoped he was correct; he didn't want to lose his little brother over such meager and unimportant questions. He was trying to fix their relationship; and now, he thought he had progress. Now that he was actually getting somewhere, he didn't plan on having his work messed up by a stupid, annoying, random teenager that suddenly appeared at their house uninvited.

He wouldn't allow it.


	5. New Life

**Author:** _The Dark Crimson Blood_  
**Story Title: **_Saving A Child_**  
Chapter Title: New Life  
****Word Count:**_ 1,386  
_**Disclaimer: **_Don't own it.  
_**warnings: AU, OOC characters... 10 year gap instead of three...  
****Summary**: Luffy was adopted by Gold D. Roger because of a promise after Monkey D. Dragon died, Luffy isn't exactly the favorite. He finds this out on his fifth birthday, marking the second year he's lived with his new 'family'. The thing is, it's also the second year Ace and Gold D. Roger have forgotten his birthday.

**NOTE: **I'm fifteen today, so I decided to do a 'Super Update' where I update almost every story I have that's incomplete, It's not much; but if your curious check my profile, Updates are written down for today... ANYWAY, back to the story;

* * *

Ace fell back into his seat, crunching his knuckles as he glared at the man across the table, an idea coming into his mind in the process. "I'm guessing you think you know everything about Luffy, correct?" Law arched an amused eyebrow, "Of course not, dear Portgas."

"Then why don't you ask Luffy if you're correct or not; trust me, he'll pick family over strangers." Law smirked, "Sure, why not. Luffy, why don't you answer that boy's question?"

"Ace is right, I'll pick family over strangers..." Ace smirked victoriously, opening his mouth to reply; "He is, Portgas D. Luffy; we're obviously family" Though that smirk was wiped right off his face when Luffy continued, "Law's my Nii-san... Everyone else ignores me..."

"So... We were wrong?" Rouge asked, baffled; she wasn't ignoring Luffy... Was she?  
"Yup, but that's okay; as long as Law's here..." Luffy finished, nodding off silently as his eyes slowly began to close; noticing this; Roger spoke up, "Is he okay?"

"He's fine. He's just tired since he missed his nap today; little children like Luffy need to take one or two naps a day; and since he missed one, he's tired" Law put in simple words, staring blankly at the family around him; "He hasn't gotten sick again, if that's what you were wondering"

"Sick again? The whole time he's been living with us, he's never caught a cold once!" Ace denied, crossing his arms as Law's eye's narrowed in anger; "He was sick on March 5th, he was out all night and because of that he caught a cold that lasted until the seventh."

"Don't lie, we would've noticed if he caught a cold; we're not idiots. It would've been the same if he was out all night." Rouge rejected, glancing at her husband briefly

"He's not lying, I caught a cold again even though he warned me this time..."

"This time...? He was sick before?" Rouge asked worriedly, staring at Law with demanding eyes. "Yes, actually. Last year, May 5th through May tenth; last year, December third through December eighth, and this year; May 5th through May seventh."  
"Why is it always on the same day during May?" Ace asked, breaking through the awkward silence, "Because, for the past two years; he's always been the most miserable on that day, he's living with me from this point forward, check the damn calendar if you want your answers" Law spat, standing up and picking the sleeping child up with him before walking out of the room. He leaned against the door and waited for the realization to hit the family, the cruel, cruel realization that came to that horrible family.

And then he heard it, an anguished filled voice that told him someone had looked at the calendar dated March 5th, where they most likely found that, in the small corner was messy handwriting.

It read, 'My Birthday"  
Only now, did they realize that they were the problem with this equation.

* * *

Three months had passed, and Luffy had just ran into an empty; dark house. A dark haired man followed, hands full of boxes. "Be careful, Luffy"  
"Okay!" Luffy replied, exploring the new house excitedly, a large smile on his face as he did so. Law smiled in reply, putting the many boxes down in the doorway before following after Luffy.

Luffy stopped in front of a door that said 'Luffy'. Curious, he opened it; it was empty. "Ehhh" He frowned, cocking his head to the side in confusion. "We still need to go shopping, that way you can get everything you want for your room. Until then, you'll be sleeping with me; in the room right across from yours. Any ideas for what you want in your bedroom?" Law asked, and; a energetic nod was his reply. "Pirates and the sea?"

"PIRATES!" Luffy yelled excitedly, jumping around before leaving to explore again. Law sighed tiredly; he'd been living with this kid for a month now, in the old house. It was tiring, but he liked it. It was nice to have such a cheerful person around him instead of just his eldest brother- who was rarely home, or just staying home; alone. Plus, he didn't mind when he was mistaken for a father in the park or anywhere else they went.

They hadn't moved far away, unfortunately, since the Portgas family was still close by; but it was a nice change. Since they had moved into a bigger house that was closer to the schools Luffy would be attending to. It was closer to Law's high school too; so things worked out pretty well. It would be easier for Luffy to make friends now, as a bonus.

Though another negative was that the high school Law was attending, was the same one Ace was attending.

* * *

Luffy closed his eyes briefly as the sun shined on him, his head protected by the shade of the tree he was close to. He was exhausted, Law and Luffy had just finished shopping, they had been going from store to store for hours until Luffy was pretty sure he had missed dinner. Stomach growling in agreement; Luffy opened his eyes again and the second he did, a person with green hair came into view, he seemed to be practicing something, and it interested Luffy. Luffy wasn't sure why though. He watched the older boy ready himself cautiously, so Luffy approached him. Law had briefly left; trusting Luffy would be safe in the park as he ran an errand just around the corner.

"That's cool! Can you teach me how to do that?" The other gave Luffy a amused glance when he saw his bright, wide eyes that sparkled with interest. "Sure, kid; why not?"

Minutes later Law found Luffy learning different kicks and punches taught to him by a boy with green hair; Law only watched in amusement; amazed at how quickly was able to make friends.

* * *

Luffy waved to Zoro as he left; hoping to meet his new friend again on a different day now that this one was almost over. Smile bigger than anything, he ran over to Law with energy that seemed impossible to have after such a long day; "Law! Law! Law! I made a new friend!"  
"That's great; Luffy" Law replied, standing up from the park bench and picking his little brother up, "How about you tell me about it on the way home?" Luffy nodded, pausing for a moment when he remembered what the usual reply was when he had been living with the Portgas family, _'Yeah, whatever'_ Would be the only reply didn't consist of silence. "Well, his name's Roronoa Zoro! He uses three swords, isn't that cool!?"

"Three swords, that's interesting indeed"

"He's SUPER strong too!" Luffy yelled, throwing his arms out in exclamation; there was a pause and Luffy's eyes only sparked more with the next oncoming sentence "But not as cool and strong as Traffy!"

Law's face tinted ever so slightly from embarrassment; he wouldn't admit it, but he was happy with the child's statement. He laughed and brushed it off, though; the blush remained clear on his face- even as he replied; "Of course not"

"Traffy's the best!"


	6. Happy End

**Author:** _The Dark Crimson Blood_  
**Story Title: **_Saving A Child_**  
Chapter Title: Happy End  
****Word Count:**_ 1,113  
_**Disclaimer: **_Don't own it.  
_**warnings: AU, OOC characters... 10 year gap instead of three...  
****Summary**: Luffy was adopted by Gold D. Roger because of a promise after Monkey D. Dragon died, Luffy isn't exactly the favorite. He finds this out on his fifth birthday, marking the second year he's lived with his new 'family'. The thing is, it's also the second year Ace and Gold D. Roger have forgotten his birthday.

**Note: Sorry it's short; but I had to improvise. (Poll on my page) Anyway; this is the LAST chapter; but there WILL be a sequel! :) It'll be called Trafalgar D. Luffy and it will be about Luffy's new life with Law; check it out when I post it, the date when it will be uploaded is written on my profile.**

* * *

Luffy was living with Trafalgar Law now; the older of the two had managed to come to a conclusion with the Child Protection Services. They had deemed it fair for Luffy to move in with Law despite Ace, Rouge, and Roger's protests. Also, they had decided it would be best for the child to chose; since they had no recorded or written evidence, which only made things more difficult. Eventually things worked out, and Luffy was now happily living with Law as his guardian.

It was surprising how everything fell into pace at such a fast speed; how everything became normal for them.

Maybe the biggest surprise was just how much trust Luffy had put into Law, which made him happy but worried at the same time; he knew he would never do anything to betray that trust, he just worried about other people who might; and he didn't want that.

Luffy didn't deserve to get hurt after being through so much, so Law decided he'd keep Luffy safe, as best he could; anyway.

Law' eyes drifted over towards the sleeping figure next to him; Luffy enjoyed sleeping next to Law, and would often crawl into bed with him at least four times a week. It didn't bother Law, because Law had been just as alone as Luffy had been; his only other family member was an older brother, but he was never home. He never really thought much about it, so he brushed it off.

His hand moved on its own and ruffled Luffy's hair when a cute whine left the child's mouth; this caused him to remember what happened just the other day, where they had been signing up at the East Blue Kindergarten; and Luffy had held onto his pant leg the whole time, hiding behind him shyly. It wasn't odd that Luffy hadn't been sure how to approach the matter, because he had never been taught anything like that before; had never socialized with anyone his age besides Zoro, who was only a couple years older than him.

Anyway, when the woman saw him; they squealed and immediately assumed he was Luffy's father.

Yes, that had been a hectic day indeed;

But it made him come to a certain realization; Luffy was family now; not that he's ever considered the boy as anything less; but it was different now, for some reason. It made him realize just how much of Luffy's trust had been put into him, and he worried about that; just how easy would it be for someone to come in out of nowhere and break that trust. Law had to protect Luffy from that, Law had to protect Luffy from everything and everyone; why? Because Luffy didn't need anymore pain within his life.

Not that he was finally free from that lonely prison of a house anyway.

Only after a month had Law began to realize just how much he had never noticed about Luffy; there were both good qualities and bad, like sometimes he forgets he's living with Law and becomes silent. He also tries to cook and manage things he shouldn't be doing at his age, he hasn't gotten hurt doing so yet; and Law planned on preventing that.

A good quality was his naturally good nature, because of it he was quick to making friends; and he always had this bright smile on his face now.

It made everyone around Luffy want to smile, including Law.

Law truly loved Luffy, as a little brother; that is. He loved the child just as much as Luffy loved him, because he had been just as lonely as Luffy had been. Law doesn't have any parents and a certain relative of his was never home, so before he met Luffy; the only thing he would do was go through a normal routine of getting up, eating breakfast, getting ready for school, going to school, coming back from school, studying, eating dinner, and then going to bed before repeating.

He liked not knowing what was coming next instead of going through an automatic routine.

Smiling fondly at he fought, he turned towards a sleeping Luffy and pulled the blankets up over his small shoulders; and, as if to remind him he wasn't alone, Luffy's sleeping body inched towards Law's and held him tightly.

Yes, everything would be fine; even as Luffy went by another name

Luffy's had a lot of different names in his lifetime, Law realizes.  
Monkey D. Luffy was his first

Portgas D. Luffy was his second

And now, his third was **Trafalgar D. Luffy  
**

* * *

**There's a poll on my profile; I'm asking whether or not I should write a fem luffy story, vote yes or no if you'd like. :)**

Thanks for everything as the story progressed, whether it's good news or bad news, there WILL be a sequel :) 'Trafalgar D. Luffy'  
Thanks to these revieweres

******_Wolf and MR Lover_**

**Callie982**

**jokolomo**

**Taira Yukiko**

**Yana5**

**mangalover26**

**Kiki2000**

**KittyCatt1036**

**doubledamn (PS: Imma a girl XD)**

**Luffy1Ace1Sabo**

**FlightWulf**

**Mon Espirt Libre**

**LostFairyMantic**

**TheVictor**

**Skyflame Vongola (ps, ahahahah LAWyerd ahaha*Dies***

**mad100141**

**Yana5**

**saltandburnit**

**Guest**

**ichigi111kurosaki**

**Koizumi D. Rei**

**Hotaru Vie Jaegerjaquez**

**LyricoJ**

**shadowmarialove**

**kurofai-fan1**

**Heros Legacy**

**Lawl-ya**

**youshouldn'tneedtoknow**

**melkkj20**

**Belle-kurama-style-bankai**

**Katasana**

**Guest**

**waterdreams**

**Sparrow1011**

**chibi-twan**

**MikkiOfTheAnbu**

**moonlightnight1**

**Kupuruu**

**TheAnalei**

**xxxkirmizibeyaxxx**

**(Sorry if I missed anyone)  
-**  
**Thanks to these people for the happy birthday on when mentioned on chapter five**

**LostFairyMantic (****Ps: Nah, you're a pretty good writer yourself, a lot of people seem to like your stories)**  
**  
jam klaoo (PS: not mad, tired; I believe)**

**Kiki2000**

**Luffy1Ace1Sabo**

**FlightWulf**


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